New Delhi: Proceedings in the Parliament were washed out for the seventh straight day on Friday with the Opposition targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his utterances against those opposing demonetisation and demanding an apology from him for “wrongly accusing the opposition of holding black money”.
The government, however, rejected the demand. Members of parties like Congress, Trinamul, SP, BSP and Left created uproar in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, taking strong objection to Modi’s comments that “some people” are criticising demonetisation because “the government did not give any time to them to make any preparation (to convert black money into white).”
In the Rajya Sabha, as soon as the House met for the day and mourned the death of its former member Dipen Ghosh, BSP leader Mayawati was on her feet saying the Prime Minister had “wrongly accused opposition of holding black money” and demanded that he should apologise for his remarks.
Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad questioned how Modi could make such an allegations when it was made very clear by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and others during debate on demonetisation yesterday that the opposition is against black money.
“How can Prime Minister level such an allegation? ... We are against black money. Prime Minister must apologise,” he said as Congress and other opposition members trooped into the Well of the House, raising slogans like “Pradhan Mantri maafi mango (Prime Minister apologise).”
BJP members also came into the aisles and raised slogans supporting Modi to counter the Opposition onslaught against the government and the Prime Minister.
Amid the din, deputy chairman P.J. Kurien said a notice under rule 267 seeking suspension of business to take up discussion on ban on 500 and 1,000 rupee notes has been received from Azad. “I am ready to admit that motion provided you are ready for discussion,” he said.
Azad said his notice was conditional upon the Prime Minister coming to the House and listening to the entire debate and replying to it.
Derek O’Brien of Trinamul said there was a good debate on Thursday where everyone had opposed blackmoney. And the now Prime Minister is saying “he is a saint and we are all devils”. He also demanded an apology from Modi.
